Holiday Home Tour to highlight Shawnee homes, support football team

Families have started decorating for the holiday, and this weekend, local residents have a chance to see some of the Christmas decorations on display at local homes. The Shawnee Football Wolf Moms will have their 10th annual Holiday Home Tour from 2 to 5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 2.

LuAnne Floyd said her home will feature decorations that her family has inherited, including part of a Santa Claus collection from her mother-in-law and some Coca Cola figurines from her father-in-law, who worked for Coca Cola. She also has a nutcracker collection and four trees.

She started decorating the day after Halloween.

“That way I could pace myself and not get stressed out,” she said.

Floyd is one of Wolf Moms, and she said she hopes everyone enjoys the event.

“The money goes to a good cause. Our football program, in order for it to be a successful program, it takes a lot of money,” she said. She also added that the home tour is about more than just raising money for the program, though. “It’s also about giving the community something fun for the holidays.”

Barbara Brothers said she has been working on decorating non-stop for nearly three weeks, though she added she has been fortunate to have a lot of help from Zack Tyner, a 19-year-old boy from down the street.

“He’s just the nicest kid, and he and his dad have been such a blessing to my husband and I since we moved here,” she said.

She has decorated every room with a different theme, including a Santa’s office room, a snow room, a gingerbread room, an angel room and more, with six trees downstairs and four upstairs.

She plans to have cookies and cider for visitors, as well as a little card with the legend of the candy cane.

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Brothers said her reason for having her home on the tour was her mother-in-law, who had looked forward to doing the home tour with her before passing away unexpectedly.

“At first, I wasn’t going to do this, but she was so excited about helping me with it,” Brothers said, adding that they had been very close and both loved decorating for Christmas. “I’m really doing this in honor of her, because she loved it so, and I hope she’s looking down and is pleased.”

Some of the decorations include things she has inherited from her mother-in-law.

“I’m hoping everybody will enjoy it and make friends,” Brothers said of the event.

Heather Acock, granddaughter of the Hopkins, said they decided to do the home tour because her grandparents will be moving into another home, and they thought the tour would be a way to find a good family to buy the house on Broadway.

“It’s probably one of the prettiest homes in Shawnee,” Acock said.

She said the stairwells and fireplaces would be decorated with garland, and the dining room table set for a formal Christmas dinner.

“We’re trying to make it as traditional as possible, keeping it in the style of the home,” she said.

Tickets for the event are $10 if bought in advance, but they will also be sold at each home on the day of the tour, and will be $12 if bought at the door.

Shawnee football players will greet visitors at each home, Walker said.

Walker said the money raised by the program would go to the football program.

“Each week, the Wolf Moms provide the football team with weekly snacks and dinner on Sunday nights. Also, the Wolf Moms decorate the locker room each week with motivational slogans to encourage the team.”